Town's second appeal on the sending off of Marcus Stewart against Leeds has been turned down. Chairman David Sheepshanks and manager George Burley have both made statements regarding the matter, Sheepshanks claiming FA bias towards bigger clubs, something referred to earlier this week by Jim Magilton.
Sheepshanks said: "After notification yesterday that the FA Video Panel found 2-1 in favour of the referees decision I asked the FA to relook at the matter again yesterday. I am grateful to the FA for acceding to this request however we have been informed today that a further three panellists have looked at the video and found 3-0 in favour of the sending off, a figure that we at Portman Road find extraordinary. I doubt there was a person in the ground on either side who felt that a red card was appropriate at the time and Leeds' chairman Peter Ridsdale immediately proffered his support for an appeal."
The clearly not terribly pleased Town chief continued: "Needless to say we are very disappointed by the decision. Regrettably, anything we say now will sound like sour grapes, however after the criticism of FA disciplinary panels last week this decision regarding Marcus Stewart is perhaps not surprising and I’m afraid smacks of political expediency."
He went on: "I start from the premise that most decisions referees make are correct and that few of those that are not should ever be appealed. We suffered a harsh decision at Chelsea in January with the sending off of John McGreal after a highly debatable penalty however an offence was committed and there was no point in an appeal, no matter how hard done by we felt."
However the chairman felt the Stewart incident was different and is unhappy at the way smaller clubs like Town are bing treated by officials: "On this occasion however anyone who looks at the video in slow motion will see that, although perhaps rash, there is nothing premeditated in Marcus Stewart’s attempted tackle, that he hardly touches Ian Harte (if at all) and that Ian Harte writhes around on the ground holding his left leg with which he kicked the ball at the time of the tackle and which could not possibly have been touched by Stewart’s challenge. The immediate red card was an exaggerated response to a questionable offence. There is a growing feeling amongst less fashionable clubs such as ourselves that the lesser stars are being penalised more often and more harshly than big name super stars. All we ask for is to be treated equally however if Marcus Stewart’s offence is red then I have lost count of the number of worse offences that have gone unpunished this season particularly involving big clubs and big players."
Of Marcus Stewart Sheepshanks added: "Marcus Stewart will rue a rash challenge but I feel particularly sorry for him - and us - as this three match ban comes at a time when we have few games so he has effectively been suspended for five weeks, which makes the decision seem even more harsh. For us, it leaves big question marks over the fairness of the FA Video Panel process however we have tried everything possible to get the decision overturned and now have no alternative but to accept it and move on. We may be weakened in the interim without Marcus Stewart however our determination will become all the stronger."
George Burley added: "I am very disappointed with the decision from the FA Video Panel. Marcus made an honest challenge to try to win the ball and after watching the video in slow motion there was no contact from Marcus on the Leeds United player. I must therefore question their judgement on a very important decision that has a major impact on this club for the next month."